How can I create a shortcut file (.lnk
) to another file or executable, using command line utilities?
10 Answers
There is some very useful information on this site: http://ss64.com/nt/shortcut.html
Seems like there is some shortcut.exe
in some resource kit which I don't have.
As many other sites mention, there is no built-in way to do it from a batch file.
But you can do it from a VB script:
Optional sections in the VBscript below are commented out:
Set oWS = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
sLinkFile = "C:\MyShortcut.LNK"
Set oLink = oWS.CreateShortcut(sLinkFile)
oLink.TargetPath = "C:\Program Files\MyApp\MyProgram.EXE"
' oLink.Arguments = ""
' oLink.Description = "MyProgram"
' oLink.HotKey = "ALT+CTRL+F"
' oLink.IconLocation = "C:\Program Files\MyApp\MyProgram.EXE, 2"
' oLink.WindowStyle = "1"
' oLink.WorkingDirectory = "C:\Program Files\MyApp"
oLink.Save
So, if you really must do it, then you could make your batch file write the VB script to disk, invoke it and then remove it again. For example, like so:
@echo off
echo Set oWS = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") > CreateShortcut.vbs
echo sLinkFile = "%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Desktop\Hello.lnk" >> CreateShortcut.vbs
echo Set oLink = oWS.CreateShortcut(sLinkFile) >> CreateShortcut.vbs
echo oLink.TargetPath = "C:\Windows\notepad.exe" >> CreateShortcut.vbs
echo oLink.Save >> CreateShortcut.vbs
cscript CreateShortcut.vbs
del CreateShortcut.vbs
Running the above script results in a new shortcut on my desktop:
Here's a more complete snippet from an anonymous contributor (updated with a minor fix):
@echo off
SETLOCAL ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION
SET LinkName=Hello
SET Esc_LinkDest=%%HOMEDRIVE%%%%HOMEPATH%%\Desktop\!LinkName!.lnk
SET Esc_LinkTarget=%%SYSTEMROOT%%\notepad.exe
SET cSctVBS=CreateShortcut.vbs
SET LOG=".\%~N0_runtime.log"
((
echo Set oWS = WScript.CreateObject^("WScript.Shell"^)
echo sLinkFile = oWS.ExpandEnvironmentStrings^("!Esc_LinkDest!"^)
echo Set oLink = oWS.CreateShortcut^(sLinkFile^)
echo oLink.TargetPath = oWS.ExpandEnvironmentStrings^("!Esc_LinkTarget!"^)
echo oLink.Save
)1>!cSctVBS!
cscript //nologo .\!cSctVBS!
DEL !cSctVBS! /f /q
)1>>!LOG! 2>>&1
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1
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This works great for shortcut to a file. However, i'm having a weird problem using it for shortcut to a folder, when my variable Esc_LinkTarget contains an environment variable trying to get its parent folder. (Something like %CD%\.. does not work, but %CD% works). The shortcut target type becomes a 'File' instead of 'Folder'– EDMCommented Mar 18, 2016 at 1:37
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1@Edmund Interesting problem. I don't have time to look into it, but I would assume a trailing slash could make a difference. Commented Mar 18, 2016 at 14:53
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Note: if you use
SET Esc_LinkTarget=%0
then you have to remove the"
fromecho oLink.TargetPath = oWS.ExpandEnvironmentStrings^(!Esc_LinkTarget!^)
– BlackCommented Jul 28, 2017 at 22:35 -
2Instead of creating a vbscript for each execution it would have been far better to use
Wscript.Arguments
to get the command line arguments... lol– SancarnCommented May 8, 2019 at 10:29
Here's a similar solution using powershell (I know, you can probably re-write your whole batch file in PS, but if you just want to Get It Done™...)
set TARGET='D:\Temp'
set SHORTCUT='C:\Temp\test.lnk'
set PWS=powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NoLogo -NonInteractive -NoProfile
%PWS% -Command "$ws = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell; $s = $ws.CreateShortcut(%SHORTCUT%); $S.TargetPath = %TARGET%; $S.Save()"
You may have to explicity specify the path to PS in your file, but it should work. There are some additional attributes you can mangle through this object, too:
Name MemberType Definition
---- ---------- ----------
Load Method void Load (string)
Save Method void Save ()
Arguments Property string Arguments () {get} {set}
Description Property string Description () {get} {set}
FullName Property string FullName () {get}
Hotkey Property string Hotkey () {get} {set}
IconLocation Property string IconLocation () {get} {set}
RelativePath Property string RelativePath () {set}
TargetPath Property string TargetPath () {get} {set}
WindowStyle Property int WindowStyle () {get} {set}
WorkingDirectory Property string WorkingDirectory () {get} {set}
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Trix: If you believe that you have a better way of doing this, just post it as a new answer (linking to this one, if appropriate). Commented Nov 4, 2017 at 1:49
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Besides shortcut.exe, you can also use the command line version of NirCmd to create shortcut. http://nircmd.nirsoft.net/shortcut.html
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18I recomend almost everything from NirSoft, it's the ultimate geek toolset Commented Sep 30, 2013 at 23:29
How about using mklink command ? C:\Windows\System32>mklink Creates a symbolic link.
MKLINK [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] Link Target
/D Creates a directory symbolic link. Default is a file
symbolic link.
/H Creates a hard link instead of a symbolic link.
/J Creates a Directory Junction.
Link specifies the new symbolic link name.
Target specifies the path (relative or absolute) that the new link
refers to.
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14Good idea, but symlinks appear to behave a bit differently than shortcuts. If I create a shortcut to a Visual Studio solution, it opens all the relatively-pathed-projects correctly. However, if I open the same solution via a symlink, the working directory is that of the path in which the symlink resides, not the path to which it refers. Commented Apr 25, 2014 at 16:54
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3
If you have Git installed, it comes bundled with create-shortcut.exe
which allows you to create shortcuts from the command line, and works in Windows 10. This utility is not AFAICT publicly documented, and the --help
is minimal:
Usage: create-shortcut.exe [options] <source> <destination>
However, using Sysinternals's strings
utility to extract strings from the .exe
, I was able to work out the [options]
and the mappings to the fields shown in shortcuts' Properties
page:
--work-dir ('Start in' field)
--arguments (tacked onto the end of the 'Target')
--show-cmd (I presume this is the 'Run' droplist, values 'Normal window', 'Minimised', 'Maximised')
--icon-file (allows specifying the path to an icon file for the shortcut)
--description ('Comment' field)
Example usage:
REM If bin folder already in your PATH, omit CD line:
cd /d "C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin"
create-shortcut.exe --work-dir "C:\path\to\files" --arguments "--myarg=myval" "C:\path\to\files\file.ext" "C:\path\to\shortcuts\shortcut.lnk"
The strings
utility also reveals application compatibility with Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.
For convenience, the bin
folder can be added to your PATH
as follows:
"%SystemRoot%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" "[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable(\"PATH\", \"$env:PATH;C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin\", [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)"
(adjust C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin
if create-shortcut.exe
exists in a different path on your system)
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1With the Git I have (verison 2.27.0.windows.1) I had to dig to find this file as it wasn't referenced in PATH. Found in
C:\Program Files\Git\mingw64\bin
Commented Oct 1, 2020 at 17:30 -
@mattwilkie The path to the exe is indicated in 'Example usage' above, with a note about PATH– JimadineCommented Oct 2, 2020 at 11:16
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Ahh, I see that now. I missed on first read because text field scrolled off right of screen (and my hasty reading). Commented Oct 6, 2020 at 18:14
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1You dont need to install git. You can download standalone binary from github.com/git-for-windows/git-sdk-64/blob/main/mingw64/bin/…– hemnCommented Mar 27, 2023 at 12:30
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1just use it under the bash.exe, which is in the git distribution as well. Then all PATH like issues are solved Commented Jul 19, 2023 at 9:23
After all the discussions we had here, this is my suggested solution:
download: http://optimumx.com/download/Shortcut.zip
extract it on your desktop (for example).
Now, suppose you want to create a shortcut for a file called scrum.pdf (also on desktop):
1. open CMD and go to desktop folder
2. run: Shortcut.exe /f:"%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\sc.lnk" /a:c /t:%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\scrum.pdf
it will create a shortcut called sc.lnk on your desktop that will point to the original file (scrum.pdf)
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1a shortcut is something you run from windows, since he used CMD in the title and put the tag "command-line" I assumed he wants to run it from CMD. A batch file is the equivalent of a windows "shortcut" when you run in CMD (dos like) env. Commented Feb 20, 2012 at 18:51
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2Since he put "shortcut (.lnk file)" in the body of the question, I assumed he wants to create an actual shortcut. Commented Feb 20, 2012 at 18:52
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1sorry for clarity i wanted to have a icon on my desktop that i made in cmd that would be a shortcut to a exe file– ShantanuCommented Feb 20, 2012 at 19:23
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1
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2
You can create an easy .vbs script that is right for you:
Shortcut.vbs
If WScript.Arguments.Count <> 2 Then WScript.Quit 1
Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
TargetPath = FSO.GetAbsolutePathName(WScript.Arguments(0))
WorkingDirectory = FSO.GetParentFolderName(TargetPath)
Set lnk = CreateObject("WScript.Shell").CreateShortcut(WScript.Arguments(1))
lnk.TargetPath = TargetPath
lnk.WorkingDirectory = WorkingDirectory
lnk.Save
From command line or batch script enter this command:
wscript Shortcut.vbs file.txt file.lnk
This free program has required functionality http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd2.html: (sample from said web page)
"Create a shortcut to Windows calculator under Start Menu->Programs->Calculators nircmd.exe shortcut "f:\winnt\system32\calc.exe" "~$folder.programs$\Calculators" "Windows Calculator"
My own sample to try: nircmd.exe shortcut "c:\windows\system32\calc.exe" "~$folder.desktop$" "Windows Calculator"
I know this topic is old but I wanted to provide the simple solution that worked for me.
I first copied the .ico file to my C: drive. Then I created the shortcut on my desktop and set the icon to the ico file on my C: drive. I then copied both the .ico and shortcut to a network share that my users have access to. Once there I wrote the following batch file to copy the ico and .url to the users windows 7 desktop. This creates the shortcut on all users desktop and keeps the icon file I set when creating the shortcut. I hope this helps someone.
@echo off
Copy "\\sharename\folder\icon.ico" "C:\"
pause
copy "\\sharename\folder\shortcut.url" "C:\Users\All Users\Desktop"
pause
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1If this is the approach to take, it is better to create the actual shortcut (.lnk) which embeds the icon in it. That shortcut can then be copied everywhere.– LPChipCommented Jul 2, 2016 at 9:13
Step 1: Open CMD file location
Step 2: Right click properties on Command Prompt, and set favorite shortcut like this:
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3While I can understand the confusion, the question is about creating the "shortcut file" or "link file" (extension .lnk) of a shortcut itself. Your answer explains how to give an existing shortcut file a keyboard "shortcut". Your answer does not fit the question. But I will not downvote. It is well written and pictured and was given in good faith. I'd say it deserves an upvote just for the effort taken to compose it.– AntaresCommented May 1, 2020 at 10:13
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3Upvote given. At least, it does not deserve a negative score.– AntaresCommented May 1, 2020 at 10:21
(.ink file)
, as there was some confusion. I revised the question to reflect Shantanu's comment. While you do provide a way to make 'shortcuts', it does not answer this specific question.